The Ranger's War
by Storm-Horse101
Summary: Rangers have conquered Araluen, Rangers led and trained by a man, once a member of the Corps, who turned against Araluen. Outnumbered, the real Rangers are forced into hiding. As all of Araluen falls, there is nothing they can do but watch and wait...
1. Chapter 1

**To any one insane enough to read this: Hi guys! This is my first fic, or any kind of real writing, so please be nice. Constructive criticism is welcome, and if you would like to flame, go ahead. I'm in the mood to roast something over the fire. If you have an idea for a better name, please, share it. I was in an uncreative mood at the moment. Anyway, please give me and tips you have and please, **_**please**_**, PLEASE review. If you do I will love you forever. First reviewer gets a hug from me, and from their favorite RA character. They will also receive a cookie, and my profuse thanks. Anyway, without further ado I present…**

The Ranger's war

"I still don't think that was fair."

Halt sighed and tried to ignore his annoying, and absolutely un-ignorable used-to-be-apprentice.

Will persisted.

"This is a riddle contest. 'What won't shut up and go away' does _not _count as a riddle."

"I think it should count," Halt replied, finally giving up on trying to pretend Will didn't exist. "You won't shut up, and I don't see you going away."

There was a silence for exactly eleven blessed seconds, the best eleven seconds of Halt's life.

"So _that's _what it was," Will said in wonder.

Halt snorted quietly to himself and wondered how late the ex-apprentice had been up. Or maybe he just hadn't had his coffee yet.

"Here's another riddle!" Will said. Halt wondered how that boy still managed to be excited, especially with himself around. Imagine trying to be Will. Halt shuddered. He would rather die. Even imagining it was too painful to bear.

"What's old an ugly and has a haircut like a sheepdog?" Will asked.

Halt got a sneaking suspicion he knew the answer. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Even Will wouldn't be _that _stupid, at least Halt thought he wouldn't.

"A sheepdog?" Halt guessed.

Will smirked.

"Was that a question or an answer?" he asked.

Halt gritted his teeth and fingered his longbow. Will saw the action and shut up. Momentarily. But nothing good lasts forever, especially not silence.

"Are we there yet?"

Halt managed to maneuver his body so that he was partially facing Will.

"NO!" he yelled.

Will nodded.

"I see. Well, will we be there soon?"

Halt stooped Abelard and turned him so he was facing Will.

"If your apprentice is anything, _anything, _like you, whatsoever, Redmont is doomed."

Will shrugged.

"We'll only be gone for a few days," he replied nonchalantly. "We deserve some time off to visit Gilan. Morgan is perfectly capable of handling things while we're gone."

Halt mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Will said, grinning at his mentor.

The grizzled old ranger lightly cued Abelard to walk.

"I said, not if he's anything like you."

Will smiled again.

"Thank you, Halt. I care about you too. By the way, did you give up on the riddle? The answer is you."

Will urged Tug to his fastest pace. He wanted to live through this visit to Gilan.

The sound of hoof beats alerted Gilan that someone was coming. He heard Blaze call a greeting, and he knew that whoever it was obviously was a ranger. Two rangers actually, Gilan mused, hearing the answering whinnies. He went to the door and opened it.

Both the horses were sweaty and breathing hard. Gilan stared in surprise at Will and Halt.

"Did you run those poor horses all the way here?" he asked.

"No, just…most…of…way," Will replied, panting even harder than Tug.

Gilan looked from one horse to the other.

"I believe it," he said.

About an hour later, Halt, Will, and Gilan sat around a table talking, and of course, drinking coffee. Both Tug and Abelard had been cooled off and stabled with Blaze.

"Who's watching Redmont while you're gone?" Gilan asked curiously.

Halt shrugged casually.

"No one, actually. We decided Redmont could manage itself for a few days."

Gilan choked on his coffee. Staring at the other ranger, Halt raised one eyebrow.

"I'm joking, Gilan. I had hoped you would see that."

The young ranger coughed a few more times before he managed to reply.

"With you, Halt, it becomes difficult to tell when you're serious or joking. Who _is _watching Redmont while your gone?"

Will smiled.

"Morgan. He's my apprentice."

Gilan copied Halt and raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you had an apprentice."

"He's been my apprentice for about a year now. I truly am surprised you haven't heard yet.

"You haven't visited much," Gilan replied. "But I suppose what with trying to train him you haven't had much time. Are you sure he can handle Redmont all by himself?"

"Confident," Will stated.

All three suddenly turned as hoof beats pounded toward the house. The three ranger horses neighed. It was a warning, not a greeting. A frantic knocking began at the door.

Gilan stood so suddenly he knocked his coffee to the ground. No one noticed. The young ranger rushed to open the door. When it swung open the young boy who had been leaning on the door for support fell inward. Will caught him and laid him on the floor.

The boy raised his head and coughed weakly. His messengers tunic was slick with blood. Red fingers grasped the shaft of the arrow that protruded from his side. Gathering all his strength, the messenger managed to speak.

"Castle Araluen…captured. Ranger there…shot me. The king…the king…is…dead."

**Hee, hee. Dead king. I laugh. Anyway, please review. I refuse to update until I have at least three reviews. Be honest about the chapter. I know it was painfully short. More of an introduction, really. I shall try to do better next time. Anyway, StormHorse signing out. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I have only two reviews instead of the three I said I needed to update. However, I do have three people who put this story on alert, so I shall update. 56YLKja;hl(removes cat from keyboard). Stupid kitty. I'm writing this story, not you. Don't ruin my author's note. Anyway, I got the next chapter written and I hate not posting when I have the chapter ready. So…enjoy!**

_Three months later..._

_The people of Araluen launched several attacks against the castle. But untrained villagers against a whole army can do nothing. The people were subdued and the Rangers, the last of the rebels, went into hiding. They wait in the shadows while Araluen is conquered. For once in their lives, they are helpless. The Rangers can only wait…wait and watch…all the while planning for the day Araluen will once again be returned to the rightful rulers…_

"Halt!"

Will ran into the tent, panting and sweaty. Halt barely glanced up.

"Yes?" he asked examining the several maps that lay before him.

Will stopped and peered over Halt's shoulder at the maps.

"What did you want to tell me?" Halt asked, just a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Oh that," Will replied flippantly. He waited, trying to force Halt into asking him again.

"For goodness sake, Will! What is it?"

Will grinned.

"That's three sentences you've said in a row that end in question marks."

Halt looked up at his former apprentice.

"I just remembered another riddle that I forgot to ask you," his voice was dangerously low. "What happens to apprentices that annoy their mentors?"

Will took a few steps back.

"Umm…They get the skin tanned of their behinds?"

Halt nodded.

"Exactly. Now what were you going to say again?"

Will smirked (luvvers that word).

"Halt, you've been threatening me for years with that, and you haven't done it yet. Would this time be all that different?"

Halt glared at him. Will decided not to push the line.

"They're sounding a scout party out from the castle. Crowley wants you to go spy. Lead them away from the camp, if you need to."

Halt stood.

"Just out of curiosity, what were you looking at on the maps?" Will asked.

Halt sat down again.

"Reports from various spies have it that he's sending people here, here, and here." Halt said, pointing at various places on the map.

Will nodded.

"Do you think Araluen isn't enough for them anymore?"

Halt stood and walked to the door.

"Almost definitely."

_An hour later…_

Halt lay flat in the grass, looking up at the scout party near by. His brow was furrowed in confusion. If he hadn't known, Halt would've thought that these men were Rangers. They all wore the distinctive mottled cloaks. Everyone one of them had a quiver of arrows on his back, and a massive, strung, longbow resting on his saddle horn. There was only one difference. Instead of an oak leaf, each man had a silver dragon hanging around his neck.

One man turned toward Halt. Halt noted with interest that this man had a gold dragon. It didn't take much thought to come to the conclusion that this man was the leader. Especially in since he kept looking at the others and barking orders to them.

The scout party appeared to be searching the ground for tracks. Halt allowed himself the tinniest of smiles. Good thing the Rangers covered their tracks all the time. Even another Ranger couldn't have tracked them. Glancing at these men, Halt decided that was definitely a good thing. Those people might not be Rangers, but they appeared to have the skills of one.

Even with the tracks covered, the scouts were getting closer to the ranger's camp than Halt would've liked. He stood, still semi-crouched and began to run. He still looked like he was trying to stay unnoticed. But he knew that these…Ranger impersonators _would _notice and with any luck, they would follow. Halt allowed himself to step on a twig, just for good measure. It snapped loudly, and all the scouts turned quickly toward the noise.

Halt looked back, just for a second. Good, they were following. The old Ranger turned slightly and ran away from the camp. He knew from the sound of feet that they were still following. He kept running. Risking a glance backward he noticed that the men were gaining slightly. Speeding up slightly, he widened the gap again. In a little while he should be far enough from the camp to enter the woods and disappear.

Even while running, he thought over the Ranger impersonators. It was a missing piece in the puzzle, but hopefully it would be solved soon. Halt wondered how hard it would be for a Ranger to hide from a Ranger. Definitely more difficult. He wouldn't hear them crashing through branches like a bunch of bears. And if these men had the skill of normal Rangers, he wouldn't see them either.

Judging that he was far enough from the camp now, Halt entered the woods. After getting far enough in, he chose a good bush, and lay down under it. He took several deep breaths to steady his breathing. Then he was still and silent. The trees blew gently in the wind, the birds sang their song to heaven, no human seemed to disturb the peace. To all eyes, Halt was invisible.

Three men came into Halt's sight. The old Ranger had to squint to see them. They were good. Absolutely silent and almost invisible. Suddenly, one of them spoke.

"D- you Braedon! You said we could track him here!

Halt raised one eyebrow in surprise. Braedon…He knew he had heard that name before.

Braedon responded, his voice like a whisper through his teeth.

"He's here, We'll find him."

Halt noted that Braedon always had his hood up, hiding his face. He was also the one wearing the golden dragon.

The third man cursed.

"How do you know he's here? The man is good! I don't see any tracks."

Halt took the compliment graciously. But not too graciously. Saying thank you might ruin it.

Braedon suddenly held up a hand, signaling his men to stop. He crouched, examining the ground.

"Look," he said, his voice still quiet. His followers gathered around to look. One man, the one who spoke first, laughed quietly.

"Finally," he said. "A track. A small one though. No one but a Ranger would have noticed it."

"No one but us you mean," replied the third, and both man laughed quietly.

Braedon did not laugh. Instead he stood, and made a noise, imitating a bird. It was a signal. But to who? Halt suddenly realized there had been five men earlier. Now there were three. They had split forces and surrounded him. Halt would've banged his head against the ground if it wouldn't have given away with his position. Not that they already didn't know, Halt thought grimly.

The Ranger turned his head just the tinniest bit so he could see the other two men approaching. All five of them had their bows ready. Braedon pointed at the bush.

"He's in there," he said, his voice casual.

Halt stood. Hiding was no longer useful. Halt had an arrow on the string and the bow pulled at full draw before the scouts could blink. The arrow was aimed right at Braedon's chest.

"Don't shoot," Braedon said, calm as always. "My men all have their arrows pointed right at you. Fire and you're dead." He snapped his fingers, and a sixth man, one Halt had not seen the whole time, came up. He was leading a horse. Roughly, the man swung someone of the horse and pushed her in front of Braedon. Braedon held her there, and coolly put a knife to her throat. Then he continued talking as if he had never stopped.

"And so is she."

Halt glared at the man as he eased the string forward, pointing the arrow to the ground. For held in front of Braedon was the Princess Cassandra.

**O.o Oh noes! Now they've got Halt….WAHHH! I have no idea why I did that. Maybe it was because I was up at 11:00 tonight reading your lovely reviews again. Do you know how much I love reviews? Let me give you an example. I don't delete them from my email inbox. I just let them sit there forever so I can read them whenever I want. Yeah, reviews are pretty high on my list of favorite things in the world. So please make this sleep-deprived on-sugar author's day and review! Make sure to tell me all mistakes you see. So till next time**

**Stormhorse signing out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I have an official announcement to make. I am making Pixie Blue the official mistake corrector! Yay! You're doing a great job Pixie! Just keep pointing 'em out n the reviews! I luvvers you foreva! *hugs Pixie* the rest of you please keep reviewing. You can also correct mistakes, Pixie is just the only one who's done it so far, and I just wanted to thank her for that! Your reviews mean the world to me, so don't stop! Anyway…**

Halt released the string completely and the arrow thumped into the ground by his feet. Grudgingly, he handed the bow to Braedon. The man smiled, if it could be called that. It looked vile on his face, or what could be seen under his hood. He motioned for Halt to give him the rest of his weapons. Halt unwillingly surrendered both his knives and his quiver of arrows. Stripped of his weapons, Halt fell strangely empty. Vulnerable, he decided, that was the right word. The feeling came as somewhat of a shock. It had been a long time since he had felt that way.

Braedon eased the knife, taking it away from Cassandra's throat.

"Halt…"the girl began.

Her words were cut suddenly short as Braedon pressed the knife to her throat again. A drop of blood, horribly red against her white skin trickled down her neck. Halt stepped forward. This was the king's daughter, and Will's friend that Braedon was threatening. He would not -could not- stand back and do nothing.

Three men grabbed his arms and held him. Struggling was useless, and fighting against three men would be a waste of energy. Besides, though Halt hated to admit it, he couldn't fight this. He may have become a legend, but legends can be overthrown. The men in legends are human as well, though some of them may think of themselves as more. Halt knew his limits. Struggling would make him look even weaker, lower, than he already was. It was like squirming in the iron fist of destiny. He would go to his fate with some remnant of dignity. Until he decided to escape, that is.

Cassandra was pushed back over to the man with the horse. He expertly tied and gagged her. Without any effort at all he picked her up and threw her sideways over the horse. Scanning the area, he whistled softly. A small, dark brown horse trotted into sight. Halt stared at it. So these men had ranger horses as well. Interesting.

With a jerk Braedon grabbed Halt's wrists and tied them firmly. The man pushed him roughly forward. Halt felt like baggage being pushed and handled like that. It was a very unpleasant feeling, even worse than the vulnerability. The five Ranger impersonators led and pushed him away. Halt looked back just in time to see the horse carrying the princess disappear out of the woods. Then Halt was too busy trying to keep his own footing as he was roughly pulled away to look for the princess. But now he knew she was alive, and she could, if the false Rangers were smart, be used as a weapon against her own country. The fact had just been proved by Halt, tied and captured by the enemy.

Five Ranger horses waited on the edge of the edge of the forest. Halt raised one eyebrow when he saw them. Maybe he would get to ride to his prison. Or maybe not, he decided, as he the rope around his wrists was tied to the saddle of one of the horses. The Ranger imitators mounted quickly, and lightly cued their horses to canter. Halt half ran, half was dragged behind them as the horses quickly sped toward Castle Araluen.

Half an hour later they arrived at the castle. It had been a humiliating trip. Halt had fallen to many times he had lost count. When he fell, the men didn't even slow the horses. They just looked over their shoulders and jeered until Halt somehow managed to regain his footing. Sometimes they even sped the horses up. The majority of the trip had been spent with Halt flat in the dirt being dragged behind galloping horses. Doubtless it had been the most unpleasant journey of his life. Halt looked down at himself. He was completely coated with mud. Vulnerable, humiliated, treated like baggage, and now filthy. He might as well struggle. It wasn't like he had any dignity left now anyway. Suddenly an image popped into his mind of a worm writhing on a hook. He decided against struggling.

Braedon pushed Halt through the gates. The grizzled old Ranger looked around in surprise. Targets were set up everywhere in the courtyard and Ranger impersonators, a whole army of them, practiced archery. Out of pure habit, Halt critically watched their skill.

"Too high," he mumbled. "Too high again. That one might do better with long distance targets. He needs to practice aiming lower."

Halt started scanning the entire courtyard, mumbling corrections.

"He's gripping the bow too tightly. He's overcorrecting every shot. He's pretty good. He's _very _good. He's an idiot. I wonder if he knows what aim means. He keeps moving his hand forward with the string when he releases. Doesn't the fool know you move your hand _back_? He's angled too far to the left. His arm isn't straight. He-"

Braedon whirled around.

"If you're so intent on critiquing my men's archery skills, why don't you go give them a lesson?" he asked sarcastically. "I'm sure they'd love it. In fact, they could use _you_ as the target."

Halt scanned the courtyard once more.

"They could use a lesson," he replied. This was not exactly true. Most of the men were actually very good. And they definitely outnumbered the Ranger Corps. If Braedon was training a whole group or Rangers, things would get very bad very quickly.

Braedon started walking again.

"Maybe they could. But these are my newer ones. My more experienced archers are inside right now. I'm sure you'd be more impressed with their performance."

"I'd have to be," Halt replied calmly. Braedon responded with an even harder tug (whoops. I tried to capitalize that. I must be getting used to Will's horse) on the rope. Halt looked down at his bleeding wrists. Asking Braedon to tie the rope a little looser probably wouldn't be effective.

When they entered the main castle, Braedon signaled for the other three men to leave. Halt decided this was the time to escape; only one man was holding him. He changed his mind when a gigantic pair of hands grabbed him. Halt craned his neck so he could look the man in the face. He had to be at least seven feet tall! And every square inch of him was covered in muscle.

The giant pushed Halt into a room. Braedon followed at a dignified walk. The big man did not enter the room. Producing a key, Braedon locked the door. He turned toward Halt again.

"Now we are alone. We can talk," he said. When he spoke louder than a whisper he had a marked Hibernian accent.

Hibernian…That's where Halt had heard the name Braedon before. It was Hibernian (not sure of that's actually what the language is called. I know out of Ranger's Apprentice it's called Gaelic. Please correct me in your reviews). It meant From the Dark Valley.

**That's all for today folks. I know that was an absolutely terrible place to end, but I started getting stuck. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review. Can you see me on my knees begging you? **

**StormHorse signing out. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, I received very few reviews on the last chapter. I also did not get a review correcting my spelling from Pixie Blue, so all mistakes are still unnoticed. Anyway, I've decided to throw a little author's note party for all my amazing reviewers! So, my profuse thanks to…Writer's Apprentice, RunningCrazy4Ever, The Eleventh Marauder, Linguisticsrock, Pixie Blue, and Fawnfire! Whoohoo! Yay Guys! (Rains confetti upon their heads.) Take a bow guys. You are the best people on all of fanfiction! An enormous thanks to all of you! Anyway…**

Halt scanned the room, looking for anything that could be useful in his escape. A dagger would be good. He needed to cut his hands free. Halt mentally cursed himself. Next time he would hide his extra saxe knife somewhere _besides _in his boot. They were very inconvenient to reach there, especially when one's hands were tied. To get the knife he would have to sit down, remove his boot, because he couldn't fit his hands in there when they were tied together. Then he would have to get the knife, put his boot on again and stand up. Braedon would _definitely _notice. And it wasn't exactly quick either. He instantly discarded that idea.

He inspected the room carefully. A fireplace was in the corner, and a small fire burned in it. The floor was stone, and tapestries hung on the wall. A sword hung between two of the tapestries, but it was too high up for Halt to reach easily. Halt mentally cursed shortness, and all the problems related to it. There was a desk he might be able to stand on...with a small dagger on it! If he was quick, he could grab the dagger and cut himself free. _Then I could stab that snake over there and this whole problem would be fixed. _Halt thought. He could almost taste freedom. Careful not to let his gaze linger on the knife, Halt began planning a complicated report to Crowley when he got back.

As if he guessed what the ranger was thinking, Braedon picked up the dagger and slid it into his belt.

"I wouldn't want you getting any ideas," he smiled.

_D-. Another idea out. _

Halt noticed something else; the desk was covered with papers. He moved just a tiny bit closer so he could see some of them. _Treaties! _Halt realized. Braedon was making treaties with other countries. The old Ranger quickly read some of the country names. Gallica, Celtica, Skandia, Hibernia-

Braedon grabbed the papers and folded them, placing them in the desk drawer.

"Meddlesome Rangers," he said. "Sticking their noses where they have no right to be."

Halt said nothing. He had noticed something else. All the treaties were written as if they were from the king, but all of them lacked his seal. So that was the reason they hadn't killed Cassandra. She had hidden the seal, and the Ranger impersonators were trying to find out where.

Braedon strolled over to Halt.

"So," he said, "Have you quite satisfied your curiosity yet?"

Halt shook his head.

"Not really. I wouldn't mind if you told me how many fake Rangers you have, if you have any other army, and what all your plans for the future are."

Braedon smiled.

"I suppose you think I'm stupid, but you're wrong. I'm not like those villains in books, who tell their prisoners all their plans. You are not a threat to me, old man. But you could be, if you knew. As for my 'fake Rangers' you will find that they are not so fake. They have been trained as Rangers, and have all the skills of one. I am a Ranger, Halt, the Ranger Braedon Draic. "

_Draic, another Hibernian name. That explained the dragon pendants the Ranger impersonators wear. The man is so self-obsessed he made his last name the symbol of his army. _

Halt shrugged. He had counted the archers out there, and Braedon had clearly told him there were more. Halt had not seen any other fighters, besides the giant of a man that had taken him to the room. If he could get his hands on them, those treaties would tell him a lot.

"How did you learn to be a Ranger?" he asked. "We generally don't allow snakes into the Corps."

Braedon glared at him. But he answered.

"I was a thief. They have many of the same skills, unseen, silent movement," he smiled. "You Rangers really are just thieves. And it appears the Corps does allow 'snakes' in. They were quite happy to accept me."

Halt glared at him.

"What happened to Will's apprentice?" he asked.

Braedon shrugged.

"The runt you and Treaty left to watch this fief so you could go running off to visit your friends? He got in my way, threatened me, actually. A pitiful challenge, but those things must be dealt with," he ran his hand softly over the blade of his knife.

Halt longed to punch the man. His hands were tied, however, so he settled for kicking him. Braedon retaliated instantly. He struck Halt across the face, knocking the Ranger to the ground.

Halt rose to his feet.

"Murder of the king, holding the princess as a captive, killing a Ranger apprentice, and know attacking a King's Ranger. You're going to have a lot to answer for when you're caught and put on trial."

Braedon glared at Halt and yelled for his guard. The giant man came in and held Halt again. Braedon stalked toward Halt like a wolf approaching its prey.

"King's Ranger?" questioned Braedon, his voice low and dangerous. "Your king is dead, and I see no Ranger before me, all I see is an old man, who's gotten himself into something too big to handle."

With those words, Braedon grabbed the Oak leaf around Halt's neck and pulled, breaking the chain. Halt struggled violently, the uselessness of the action disregarded. Braedon contemptuously tossed the lead into the fire.

"No!" Halt yelled, the word tearing from his mouth before it could be stopped. He had felt empty when Braedon had taken his weapons, but it was much worse without his Oak leaf. It was like an essential part of him had been torn away, and was now being devoured in flame.

Halt glared viciously at Braedon. He angrily fought the guard, and the emotion welling up inside him. He would _not _show his weakness. Braedon smiled, glancing over at the small pendant, melting in the flame.

"So, Halt," he said. "Do you still feel like a _King's Ranger_?" he spat the last two words.

Halt glared at him even harder.

"Snake," Halt whispered, stopping his struggling and staring angrily at the floor.

Braedon smiled triumphantly.

Suddenly the door burst open. A woman, dressed in Rangers clothes ran in. She too wore the dragon pendant around her neck. For a moment, Halt wondered how she had gotten in through the locked door. His keen eyes saw as she dropped the small lock pick she had used. That explained the mystery of the door.

"Braedon!" she yelled. "There's a fire in the archer's field!"

Braedon looked up.

"Broderick!" he called to the giant guard. "Come with me."

He turned to the woman.

"Aileen. Watch the Ranger."

He stalked from the room, followed quickly by Broderick.

Halt almost smiled. He could overpower her and get out. Well, maybe not with his hands tied, and she was armed. As if to drive that point home, she drew her saxe knife. In a fluid motion she raised it above her head, and smiled a dangerous smile. Halt heard the sound of wind as the knife cut through the air toward him.

**Cliffie! I love them. Oh, by the way, Aileen means Fiery in Gaelic/Hibernian. Anyway, please press the little button that says review. Then write exactly what you think about the story, complete with correction in my spelling and grammar. It would also be very sweet of you of you included writing tips. I promise you'll enjoy it! And so will I! So, what are you waiting for?**


	5. Chapter 5

**OMG! I can't believe I forgot to put a disclaimer on any of these last chapters! Oh well, here it is.**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I own Ranger's Apprentice. Even though it is mine and I wrote the books, I am sitting here writing fanfiction too. Not to mention typing out a disclaimer. Seriously, guys? No, Ranger's Apprentice is not mine, nor sadly, will it ever be. But I shall kidnap Halt. **

**Sorry this chapter is so late. I was kinda busy with school. I wasn't even able to start writing this till about 6:30. Sorry bout that. Anyway, I've gone back and (hopefully) fixed the mistakes in the other chapters. I probably missed some, but oh well. Here's chappie five!**

The sharpened blade of the knife cut easily through the rope tying Halt's hands. The old Ranger stared up at the girl in surprise.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

The girl snorted.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm rescuing you. I thought you would be able to tell that."

The reply did little to lesson Halt's confusion. The possibility that this was a trap flashed in his mind, but what was the point of trapping someone when you had already captured them?

"Who are you?" he asked warily.

She sighed.

"My name is Aileen Draic. Now hurry up. The fire won't delay them forever."

Halt still had one more question on his mind.

"Did you say your name was Draic?"

Aileen glanced quickly at the door.

"Yes, and in case this is your next question, yes, Braedon is my brother. I don't agree with what he's done, or with what he's doing, so I'm working against him."

Halt nodded quickly. If he was ever going to get out of this mess he had to trust someone.

"Hurry," Aileen said. She grabbed her bow, and fired an arrow quickly into the door.

Halt didn't bother asking her why. He had already guessed the most likely reason, and he had something else he needed to do.

"Wait," he replied. Aileen watched, confused, as he shoved something into his cloak.

"I'm ready," he said, and turned to follow Aileen out of the room.

Halt and Aileen crouched in the bushes near the castle. Aileen glanced quickly at the archer's field.

"Good. They're stilling trying to put out the fire. I set that pretty well."

Halt raised an eyebrow, but he wasn't really surprised. From what he had learned about Aileen already, she seemed like the type who would set a fire as a distraction.

"Do you know where the princess is?" he asked.

Aileen shook her head.

"No, Braedon hasn't told anyone, except Broderick, that is. You should go now. After you've started I'll sound the alarm and point them in the wrong direction. That should buy you some time. But at some point they'll probably be able to track you, so don't head straight back. I'm sure you can find a way to throw them off. Hurry."

Halt looked her in the eye and almost smiled.

"Thank you," he said, and then he was gone, like a ghost in the castle shadow. Aileen watched him until he was out of sight, then she turned, and silent as a whisper, she made her way back to the door.

With a shout she ran out.

"He escaped! The Ranger escaped!" she yelled.

Braedon looked up quickly.

"What?" he asked, surprise written clearly on his face. "How?"

"He had a knife hidden," Aileen replied. "He cut his hands free and knocked me down. He was out the door before I could stop him! I fired an arrow into the door behind him, but he was already gone. I couldn't find him in the castle, but I ran outside and I saw him running. He went that way!" she chose a random direction that she knew Halt had _not _gone in, and she pointed.

Braedon signaled to about half of his men.

"You men, find the Range," he ordered. "The rest of you, put out the fire. I have to go check something."

The men raced away to obey his orders. Braedon slipped back into the castle, and into the room where Halt had been held.

The room was silent as Braedon investigated it. An arrow was indeed stuck through the door, looking exactly like it had been fired at someone as they went through it. Braedon narrowed his eyes. Despite the arrow in the door, he doubted Aileen's story. She was a good fighter, one of the best, actually. Plus it would have taken some time for the Ranger to cut through the ropes with his hands tied. And Aileen had been armed. Braedon severely doubted that the Ranger could have beaten her with just a knife. It might have worked if she was taken by surprise, but Braedon knew her better than that, she was always alert. It was impossible…unless….

He went to the desk and opened the drawer. Empty. He slammed it shut and ran outside.

"Find the (censored word) Ranger!" he yelled.

Several of his men looked up from where they had just finished putting out the fire.

"Find him, NOW!" Braedon screamed.

The men hurried off. It was not wise to question Braedon when he was in a mood like that.

Halt ran silently through the forest in the opposite direction of the _real _Rangers camp. It felt strange running without the familiar weight of the oak leaf bouncing against his chest. He looked back and checked his trail. Good. It was noticeable to a trained Ranger, but not too obvious. Satisfied, Halt sprang lightly into a nearby tree. He passed through the trees for a while, and then dropped swiftly to the ground. He ran toward the camp, this time careful to leave no trail. Hidden in his cloak he felt the bulge of the treaties he had stolen from Braedon's room. He smiled faintly. Soon Crowley would know everything.

**Okay, I'm not sure if I really liked that chapter. It didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Oh well, I hope you guys liked it. It was pretty darn short, wasn't it? Anyway, you know the drill. Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: It ain't never been mine. Yay bad grammar! **

**I'm baaaaaack! Did you guys miss me? At all? Even a little? ANYONE? Oh well, I'm back anyway. This took kinda a long time because I just had surgery on my right shoulder, and I have to wear this huge stabilizer, and can only type with my left hand, so there will probably be plenty of typos. But I sorta had to have the surgery. My shoulder kept dislocating. Eight times to be exact. Yeah, not good. Anyway, here's the next chappie! **

Aileen pressed herself closer against the stone wall. Her cloak blended effortlessly into the dark shadows, hiding her from view. Intently, she listened to the footsteps in the next hallway, footsteps and voices. Inching closer, Aileen strained to understand their words.

"….The Ranger?" That was Braedon's voice, soft as a snake, and marked with a strong Hibernian accent.

"We'll find him."

Aileen recognized this voice as Broderick's. Thick and heavy.

"What about your sister?" Broderick continued.

The sound of Braedon's fist punching the wall echoed through the stone corridor. Aileen winced. Her brother was going to feel that later.

"Treacherous snake!" Braedon hissed. "When I find her she will pay for her betrayal! Before I am done with her she will be begging to tell me where the Ranger is!"

_Treacherous snake? _Aileen thought, her dark green eyes flashing with anger. _Who's the snake? I can promise you it's not me._

But Braedon knew what she had done. Castle Araluen was no longer a safe place for her. She had to get out, quickly. Smooth as a ghost, she slipped down the hall toward the stables. Braedon would be searching for her soon. She had to leave immediately.

Crowley examined the papers Halt had placed in front of him.

"Interesting," he mused. "Peace treaties? Why would he have peace treaties? I had thought he would be trying to conquer these countries, not make peace with them."

Halt only shrugged. He had no idea. It certainly had seemed as if Braedon would not stop at conquering Araluen. It was hard to believe that they had been wrong about that.

The two Rangers stared at the treaties for a while longer. Crowley mused over the report Halt had brought him. Fake Rangers?

"Halt," Crowley began. "How long do you think it will be before Braedon makes new treaties?"

"Not long," Halt replied. "But it will take him longer to make the princess give him the seal. If he gets desperate enough he'll probably forge it though, and risk getting caught."

That, of course, brought up another issue.

"How are we going to rescue the princess?"

Halt stared at the ground for a second. He honestly had no idea, but that was a hard thing for him to admit, especially to the Corps commandant.

"I don't know," he finally admitted. "Aileen didn't know where they kept her, and even if we got in, there's no way we would have time to search the entire castle. We'll have to wait until we have more information."

"Which could be never," Crowley pointed out. "If Braedon finds out that she helped you, she'll be killed. Anyway, even if she isn't found out, it could be dangerous for her to make continuous trips down here. And she doesn't even know where we are."

Halt knew Crowley was right but he really didn't think there was anything he could do. Just then, the door to the tent burst open. Will ran in, a gigantic grin on his face. He hugged Halt so hard that he almost knocked the older Ranger over.

"You got away!" he exclaimed. "I heard you were captured," he looked down for a moment. "I thought they were going to kill you," he murmured. "I was really worried."

Halt looked at his former apprentice. He noticed with some annoyance that Will was now as tall as he was. Oh well, it couldn't be helped.

"Did you find out anything?" Will asked, brightening a little.

Halt sighed.

"More questions," he said in false exasperation. "Do you apprentices ever stop?"

Will smiled.

"Nope, and what you just said sounded like a question to me. Now answer _my _question."

Halt repeated the entire report to his ex-apprentice. When he finished, he handed them to Will. The young Ranger frowned at them.

"Peace treaties?" he asked after examining them for a while.

Halt raised an eyebrow.

"Did it take you that long to figure it out?"

Will shook his head.

"No, but it's just…strange. Who sends peace treaties to countries they want to conquer? It doesn't make any sense.

Halt allowed a faint smile.

"Well, if all goes well, we should know soon."

Will turned to look at him.

"What do you mean? How?"

We still know that he sent spies to different countries, the same countries that these peace treaties are for. We're going to follow them."

Aileen slid through the stable door, opening it just wide enough to go through. She closed it silently behind her. A noise told her that the stable hand was cleaning the stalls. She crept up toward him. Luckily, his back was turned. Pulling out her strikers, she raised them and hit the man over the head before he had a chance to turn. She was careful not to hit him too hard, just hard enough to knock him out. It was unpleasant, but necessary. Hopefully she could escape the castle without hitting too many people over the head.

The girl walked quickly down the aisle between the stalls. She stopped momentarily to grab her horse's saddle.

"Tiger," she called softly. A dun mare raised her head and strolled over. Aileen unlatched the door and stepped in, taking the bridle from a hook on the outside of the stall door. She placed the saddle on the horse's back, and tightened the girth. The horse, Tiger Lilly, sensed her owner's urgency and stood still and obedient. Aileen finished with the saddle and slid the bit into Tiger's mouth. Soon the bridle was on, and the horse was ready to go. Aileen had already packed the saddlebags.

"Follow," she ordered, and walked out of the stall, with Tiger close behind.

Three men guarded the small door near the back of the castle. Aileen signaled Tiger to wait for her, and snuck closer to the men. Her strikers efficiently took out the first. The second turned, and his head met a well thrown stone. The last guard turned and saw her.

_Oh, d-. _Aileen thought as the man opened his mouth to yell. Quickly, she raised her arm. Her clenched fist came in solid contact with his chin, and he crumpled to the ground. Aileen paused a moment to catch her breath.

"Tiger!" she called softly. The small mare trotted up to her. Aileen patted her neck, grabbed the keys from the guard, and left. Tiger followed her out the door.

"Shall we dance?" Aileen whispered to Tiger. The horse tossed her head in response to the pass code. The next minute, Aileen galloped over the grass, leaving Castle Araluen, and her brother, behind. She was free.

**Wow, sorry it was so short. And so badly written. I'm having a bad writing day. Well, my computer's back, so at least I can write at all. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. I have 23 now! WOOHOOO! I'M SO HAPPY I'M GONNA BURST! I luvvers you guys. So, please keep reviewing. It gives me inspiration. Oh, for all you un-horsey people, I said Tiger Lily was a dun horse. Dun is a color. It's sort of a dark orange-brown with black, or really dark brown mane and tail, muzzle, and legs up to the knees. Some dun horses, including Tiger, also have a black stripe down their backs and black zebra markings on their legs. Well, I'm off. Storm-Horse signing out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: What? It's **_**not **_**mine? I…I can't bear it! *sob* Truly ye are wonderful, great John Flanagan!**

**OK, next chapter. Sorry 'bout changing the summary, but I decided that so many stories are about how the king is dead, that I'd change the summary and try to make it stand out more. Sorry if you liked the old one better! Anyway, let the next chapter begin!**

Halt crouched in the grass, silently watching a lone horse and rider. The rider studied the ground carefully, now and then dismounting to look at something closer. It was making Halt rather nervous, wondering if the rider had found any signs. It was possible. After all, he wore the cloak that distinctly marked him as a Ranger, one of Braedon's Rangers, actually.

This day bore distinct similarities to last time Halt had been sent to spy on Braedon's men. Except this time there was only one Ranger, and this time Halt was certainly _not _going to be captured.

The imposter Ranger appeared to have found what he was looking for. He stood suddenly and swung onto his horse, turning it in Halt's direction. Halt reached for his bow, he had decided. The fake Ranger was too close to the camp, there was only one, but he was a threat. Halt had considered capturing him, and trying to get information, but that could be too dangerous. He would have to take him back to the camp, and if he escaped then they would be discovered. His only choice was to kill him.

Halt stood, an arrow already on the string, the bow pulled to full draw. Only one thing stopped him from shooing.

"Halt!" cried Braedon's Ranger, in a strangely feminine voice. She threw back her hood revealing long red hair.

"Aileen?" asked Halt, lowering his bow slightly.

She jumped down from her horse, a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

"Your camp is well-hidden," she stated. "I've been looking all day. I'm glad they sent you out to spy, or I never would have found you."

Halt placed his arrow back in the quiver.

"Why were you looking for us?" he asked.

Aileen sighed.

"Because Braedon found out I freed you and he's trying to kill me."

"Why did you come here?"

Aileen was now definitely annoyed.

"Well, for one thing because I saved your life, and I thought you could help me. And because I wanted to join you. Is there anything else you want to know?"

Halt decided to take advantage of that.

"Do you know what the peace treaties are for?"

Aileen looked up quickly.

"Peace treaties? What peace treaties? I never heard about any peace treaties."

Halt tried to hide his confusion

"Braedon had written peace treaties with several different countries. You didn't know about those?"

"Show me," Aileen said.

Halt whistled for Abelard. He mounted, and the two Rangers rode toward the camp.

Aileen leaned over the treaties, studying them carefully.

"I don't get it," she said finally. "He never talked about making peace with any countries. All he ever talked about was fighting and conquering."

Halt, Crowley, Will, and Aileen were gathered around the treaties, examining them. Will and Crowley still looked at Aileen a little distrustfully. Even after Halt had explained how she had helped him, they still were rather reluctant allow her into the camp. Both of them trusted Halt, however, and he managed to convince them to let Aileen see the treaties.

"Has he ever used anything like this before?" Crowley asked.

Aileen shook her head.

"No, he conquered Castle Araluen by…" her voice trailed off. "Oh, I'm such an idiot! How could I have missed it before?" she cried.

"Missed what?" asked Will, leaning closer to the treaties as if they would tell him the answer.

"He captured Castle Araluen after he attacked a group of messengers from Gallica," explained Aileen. "He took their clothes and disguised himself and several of his men as the messengers. When the king heard that there was an urgent message from Gallica, he let them in immediately. They killed him and several of his soldiers, and then they let down the drawbridge for the rest of Braedon's men. I think he's planning to do something like that now. When the rulers of these countries hear that there are peace treaties from Araluen, they'll have no reason to be suspicious, and he can catch them unaware."

"Snake," muttered Halt quietly. "It sounds like something he would do."

Aileen nodded.

"My brother certainly has no qualms about lying, or signing treaties he has no intention to keep."

"He's your brother?" Will asked.

Aileen grimaced.

"I left that out before because I was still trying to get you to let me in."

They all turned at the sound of hoof beats. The Ranger spy slid down off his horse.

"He's sending out a group of men to Celtica! They appear to be carrying treaties!"

Crowley turned to look at Will and Halt.

"Pack supplies and get your horses. If you hurry, you can get there before them and warn the ruler of Celtica."

Halt and Will nodded and hurried toward the door of the tent. Aileen stepped in front of it, feet spread, hands on her hips. Her green eyes flashed like fire.

"What about me?" she asked.

Will and Halt looked at each other, their faces asking the same question. Will asaked it aloud.

"What about you?"

Aileen stepped forward, rising to her full height. She was at least a head taller than either of them.

"I'm coming," she said firmly.

Halt and Will glanced at each other again, but this time Crowley answered for them.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," he said, distrust still in his voice.

Aileen tossed her head, the motion reminded Will of a wild horse.

"You are not my commandant," she replied, her voice stubborn. "And I know more about Braedon than any of you do."

Halt broke into the argument.

"She does," he said. "It might actually be a good idea for her to go. Besides, while we waste time arguing, Braedon is getting closer to Celtica. We're wasting time here."

Crowley hesitated a moment before nodding. The Rangers hurried away to prepare for the trip.

Three Rangers rode hard and fast toward Celtica. The sun cast their shadows in front of them, like ghosts leading them onward toward the end. Their horses possessed excellent endurance, and were not yet tired. The road ahead of them was long, but they would make it. They _had _to make it, or Celtica was lost.

**Grrrr…Why are all my chapters so stupid and short? Or stupidly short. I didn't really like that chapter. It took a really long time, because for some reason it just wouldn't work! And I had to go look up the Ranger's Apprentice website so I could see a map of the Ranger's world and find a country that was next to Araluen. Have you noticed that on the Ranger's map the arrows holding the notes in place don't have nocks? It's really weird! I've broken enough arrows to know that you can't shoot them if they don't have nocks. Oh well, whatever. Please review! I luvvers you guys!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, next chappie. I only got one review last time, so I'm pretty sad. Honestly guys, if you're not reading this, I won't write it, so please review. THANKS ROMYTHE! You're my one reviewer! Anyway, I still luvvers all you guys! On to chapter whatever-it-is!**

They had been riding three days. Three days with short rations, and little rest. The horses were exhausted from the hard running. The Rangers themselves were not in much better shape. Braedon had not only started earlier, but Castle Araluen was closer to Celtica than the Ranger's camp.

"How much longer?" Will asked as he patted Tug's sweaty neck. The faithful pony turned his head slightly toward his master and nudged his arm. The Rangers were currently leading the horses to give them a rest. They needed it. Their sides were heaving and they were soaked with sweat. Steam rose from their bodies into the warm air. Despite what the stories say, horses cannot gallop for three days straight without rest. Ranger horses possessed greater endurance than most other horses, but even they can only maintain hard running for a short time.

Halt glanced at Will and deftly performed some quick mental calculations before answering his question.

"Just a few hours more," he replied. "In a few minutes we can probably mount again and ride them gently." He shot a quick look behind them. "Braedon is still behind us. I hope we can keep ahead of them. They probably have fresh horses."

The Rangers had managed to pass Braedon much earlier that day, but they had been forced to take a longer route so that they would not run into them. Braedon had the luxury of riding at a much more leisurely pace.

"How far behind do you think he is?" Aileen asked Halt.

Halt looked back again.

"Probably not far. It would be safer to gallop, but our horses wouldn't hold up much longer. I do think we can mount again, though."

Will and Aileen swung quickly onto their horses backs, accepting Halt's answer without a word. Because of his greater experience and knowledge, Halt had become the unofficial leader of the group.

Halt also mounted, talking quietly to his horse in Hibernian. Abelard was older than the other horses, and the distance was harder on him. Of the three horses, Tiger Lily possessed greater endurance. She was larger than Tug and Abelard, and she had long legs for her size, so she could cover more ground with greater ease.

"Halt, what's that?" Will asked suddenly.

Halt turned around halfway in his saddle, and saw easily what Will's finger pointed out. A cloud of dust rose in the air behind them.

"It looks rather like a dust storm, like the one in Arrida, Halt commented. Both Will and Halt knew this was not likely, however. The area they rode through was not a desert, simply a rather barren stretch of ground. Several trees did grow there, and the wind was not strong.

"It looks more like the dust stirred up by many horses running," Aileen responded dryly. "It appears Braedon has caught up."

With unspoken agreement, the Rangers urged their tired horses to gallop. The could feel the necessity, and moved forward into the pace. Abelard stumbled slightly, but recovered. As they ran, the old horse fell slightly behind the others.

Cries and shouts rang in the still air as Braedon's Ranger's noticed the three in front of them. The dust had hidden them before, but it had settled enough so that they had seen them. They went quickly from a relaxed canter to a gallop, their fresh horses relentlessly pursuing the exhausted group in front of them.

Aileen leaned closer over Tiger's neck, urging the mare to increase her stride. Tug was only slightly behind her. Though his legs were shorter, and his endurance was not as great, the pony was much faster than he looked, as he had proved to the nomads in Arrida when he was forced to race against the larger horses. Abelard was almost even with Tug, despite his age. The horse sensed the urgency in Halt's whispered words of encouragement, and willingly gave his all for his master.

The horses efforts were proving futile, however. Braedon's Rangers were gaining on them with every stride. Cursing quietly, Aileen ducked an arrow fired from behind. She pulled out her already strung bow, and put an arrow to the string. But to shoot at Braedon's men she would have to twist herself around in the saddle. The position would put her weight behind the horse's motion, slowing it down.

The horses struggled up a steep hill. Halfway up, Halt shouted a command. The three Rangers pulled their horses to a stop. In an instant their first arrows arched through the air. All three hit their marks. Two men fell to the ground, slain instantly. The clutched with trembling hands at the arrow protruding from his chest. He slipped from the saddle, mortally wounded.

Halt, Will, and Aileen all were ready with another arrow. They fired quickly. Will started to the side as an arrow whizzed past his ear. His shot went wild, the arrow swerving significantly to the right, and completely missing the enemy. Halt aimed at Braedon, and released the string. It was a perfect shot, flying straight and true toward its mark. At the last moment, Braedon grabbed the reins of the horse next to him, and yanked them hard. The startled animal moved quickly in front of him. The man riding it clutched at his shoulder as Braedon released the reins of his horse. The man fell to the ground, where his own horse, panicked and trampled him. Braedon glanced indifferently at the body of his soldier.

Braedon fired toward Halt. Abelard reared, and the arrow plunged into his side. The horse fell to the ground and tumbled down the hill. Halt had managed to swing himself off the horse before it fell. The old Ranger stood and darkly muttered a word. Neither Will nor Aileen had heard it before. This was a good thing as the definition would have made a Skandian blush.

The three Rangers position from the hillside gave them an advantage, as the imposter Rangers had to fire up at an angle. Shooting downward was considerably easier. Braedon had already lost almost half his men. As three more of them fell, pierced by arrows, Braedon signaled for his men to retreat. 

Halt only waited a heartbeat before half running, half stumbling, he took off down the hill toward his horse. Abelard struggled to stand, before falling back down again with a shriek that almost sounded human. His right front leg was twisted and bent at a strange angle. Halt went to the horse, and stroked his neck as he ran a hand down its leg. The horse neighed shrilly with pain. Halt whispered soothing words to Abelard. His vision clouded, and he swiped angrily at his face. Will and Aileen watched in horror as Halt pulled out his saxe knife, never ceasing his talk to the horse. Abelard's cry of pain was cut short as the knife stabbed into his neck.

Halt stood and stumbled away from the horse, fighting the tears that threatened to come down, he wiped them away once more and turned. Braedon was returning, his men ready with their bows. The Rangers were trapped at the hill, three people two horses. The enemy was approaching quickly. Castle Celtica was a short ride away, but it seemed the journey was not to be finished.

**Wow…what do you say to a guy when you just killed his horse? Ummm…SORRY HALT! I didn't really want to kill your horse, I love horses, I actually have two! But I needed to trap you somehow, and I just can't resist torturing you! That probably didn't help. Just in case your wondering, Halt killed Abelard because a horse can't heal from a broken leg. Even if they do, they'll be crippled. The kindest thing to do is kill them. I'M SORRY, ABELARD! Oh well, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Next chapter ready! Thanks so much for your awesome reviews and umm…so sorry 'bout killing Abelard. You guys seemed pretty upset. *Sob* Please don't hate me! Now, on to the story…**

The figures of men and horses approached quickly from the dust. Each imposter Ranger already had an arrow on the string, their bows pulled back to half draw.

"Go," Halt said to Will, not turning from the seen. His own arrow was ready.

Will didn't obey.

"No," he replied firmly. "If you think I'm leaving you here you're crazy."

Halt still didn't turn, but his voice was firm.

"I can hold them off long enough for you to warn the king of Celtica.

"Aileen can warn Celtica!" Will yelled.

Halt shook his head.

"Araluen needs you," he replied, taking extra arrows out of his pack. His others were almost spent. "You're no good to your country dead," he added.

"But neither are you!" Will replied, anger and sadness lacing his voice at the same time.

"Aileen is no where near as good as you," Halt continued. He half turned toward Will. "You're the best, Araluen needs the best."

Will had no time to reply. Braedon's men were too close. Will was barely able to dodge the arrow that flew toward them.

"Go!" Halt cried, pushing his former apprentice forward.

Will ran. Though he fought it, he knew Halt was right. Three people could never escape on two horses. Even if Abelard had still been alive, Braedon would have overtaken them. Looking back at the determined Ranger, Will had no doubt that Halt could hold them off. Aileen watched as Will grabbed Tug's reins, and prepared to mount.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "What about Halt?"

She had been to far away to hear the conversation, Will realized. Swallowing once, Will managed to force himself to talk.

"Halt…Halt will hold them off," he croaked.

Aileen's mouth was a straight line.

"I'll do it," she said. "Halt can take my horse. "He's more valuable to Araluen than I am."

"You couldn't hold them off long enough," Will replied, snapping a little to disguise his fear and sadness.

Aileen knew it was true, and she argued no further. Already they were wasting time. Will swung onto Tug, and turned the pony with an unnecessarily hard pull on the reins. The two galloped up the remains of the hill, and at the top, for one instant, Will looked back. The image was burned into his mind. Halt fired ceaselessly into Braedon's Rangers, moving constantly to avoid the others arrows. Will's vision clouded with tears as he watched the small Ranger fight, hopelessly outnumbered, but showing no sign of giving up. Will saw Braedon clutch at the arrow in his shoulder, his face as red as the blood that dripped from it.

"Kill him! He's just one man!" he cried.

Halt's reply rang loudly in the air.

"I'm just one man, but try and pass me, scum!"

The man surrounded Halt, but he whipped out his knives and fought on. Men and horses fell, their shouts of pain filling the air. But will knew that soon, by sheer force of numbers, Halt would be overcome.

"Goodbye, Halt," he whispered, his voice carried away by the wind, tears dripping unheeded down his face.

"Goodbye, father."

He turned Tug, and galloped down the hill after Aileen, leaving the old Ranger behind.

Braedon cursed loudly. Halt was standing his ground, his bow long since abandoned. The Ranger now fought with only his knives, slashing at Braedon's men and horses. Braedon remembered the time when Halt was captured, bound, and completely at his mercy. At the time he had told the Ranger that he was no threat. The leader of the imposter Rangers had known he was wrong at the time. That idea was completely reinforced by the motionless figures of many of his men, lying dead on the ground. Braedon pulled his bow to full draw and tried to aim, but his enemy darted in and out between his men, his knives a blur. If Braedon fired, he risked hitting his own men. With Halt's speed, a clear shot was impossible. Braedon cursed louder than ever, pulling Halt's black shafted arrow from his shoulder, and snapping it in two. Suddenly, his horse collapsed under him, its eyes rolling back with fear and pain. Halt pulled his knife from its throat.

"That's for Abelard," he muttered, loud enough for Braedon to hear.

The imposter Ranger struggled to his feet. He had been quick enough to pull his leg to the side before the horse fell on it. But he had lost his bow as the horse fell. Halt stood nearby, his throwing knife raised. He took aim, and drew back to throw.

"And this is for Will," he continued.

He threw the knife, slightly to the right. He had seen Braedon use his bow enough to know that he was left-handed. Therefore, he would step off his better side to the right. If Braedon hadn't panicked, and tripped on the body of his dead horse, he would at that moment have a knife lodged in his heart. As it was he fell on his face, the arrow flying over his head, and into the shoulder of one of his men. Braedon stood, his face contorted with anger.

"Kill him, d- you! Kill him!" he screamed.

His men were already trying. They swarmed at the Ranger, most of them falling as soon as they came with in striking distance. They were not inexperienced fighters, but Halt had been in the Ranger Corps for decades, and his skills were sharpened to the highest degree possible. He was a born fighter. But he still knew this battle could not be won. He fought only for the chance for Will to escape. Even while the numbers of the enemies began to overwhelm him, his thoughts were on his former apprentice's safety, and he hoped, with everything in him, that he had given Will the chance to escape, and warn Celtica.

Castle Celtica was in sight. Will leaned over Tug's neck, feeling the pony's mane blowing in his face. Flags fluttered in the wind from the castle's proud battlements. Guards patrolled the walls, calling and pointing as they saw the two horses approaching. Will felt Tug's labored breathing, and saw the sheen of sweat covering his body. He patted the pony's neck, and encouraged the brave animal to move onward. No sign had been seen of Braedon's men, but Will knew they were behind him. Even Halt could only hold them off so long. Halt. Will blinked away tears as he thought of his mentor. Even with the bleak truth of it facing him, Will found it impossible to imagine the man dead, defeated. Halt was almost invincible in his mind, but what he wished fought with what he knew to be the truth.

The young Ranger forced his attention back to the mission ahead. They were right by the castle gates now. Several guards pointed crossbows at them, waiting for the two strangers to identify themselves and explain their presence. One guard, who seemed to be in charge, shouted out a greeting, and a question.

"Who are you? Do you come in peace, and as a friend or a foe?"

Will barely listened to Aileen's reply, but it must have been persuasive, for the draw gate was lowered, and the two Rangers passed in, where they were stripped of their weapons, and permitted to speak their message. Soon, Celtica would be ready, and Braedon and his men would never pass through the gate.

A hill, already red with blood, was bathed in light by the setting sun. The silhouettes of the fighters danced freakishly in the light. Tired and bloody, a Ranger defended himself with nothing but a broken longbow, his last moments a fight for freedom. All around him lay the slain bodies of his enemies. Singlehandedly, he had defeated almost half their number. Now, far from his home, and the country he fought to defend, he went down, illuminated by the sinking sun. The light shone red upon him as he fell, and behind him, the sun disappeared behind the hills.

**Alright guys. Before I say anything else HALT IS NOT DEAD! Seriously injured, and left for dead, but not dead. It kinda ruins the drama to tell you that, but I don't want to be flamed, or lose all my readers because I wanted them to think he was dead. Will, however, thinks he is dead. Anyway, review please! If you're absolutely furious at me for hurting (but not killing) Halt, you can say so. Just try to be polite about it. As always, your reviews mean the world to me (more than that actually)! Your encouragement is all that keeps this story going! So keep up the good work!**


	10. Chapter 10

**And here is the next chapter! Sorry it took so long. There really is no excuse. I was just being lazy. *Looks shamed* But now it's ready! Thanks to all my reviewers, Eclesia, Dodo.123, Rydd Rider, RunningCrazy4EVER, SirWalsingham, am8095, horseislove, RoMythe, linguisticsrock, Azlorak Tolkien, Seditious Dragon, Nikki Ride, pixie blue, Writer's Apprentice, The Eleventh Marauder, and Fawnfire. Sorry if I missed anybody! If I missed you, be sure to tell me in your REVIEW! And another thanks to pixie blue, RunningCrazy4EVER, and Eclesia, who constantly corrected my grammar and spelling. Oh, and a special note to linguisticsrock, if she's still reading this. A while ago you suggested in one of your reviews that I put in a line when I change POV's. I did this, but for some reason it didn't work. So now I'm putting in something else, and hopefully this will work. So, here we go! Halt shall now save the world…maybe. **

The world seemed dark and vague, even after Halt had opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, and the surrounding view came into focus. The sudden movement of his eyes caused the old Ranger's head to pound, as if his mind was trying to make its way out of his head. With a groan, Halt reached up and put his hand to his forehead. Sticky blood ran between his fingers. The man groaned again. _Where am I? _He thought to himself. _Where's Will?_ Will!The last thought caused an adrenaline that somehow gave the Ranger the strength to sit up. Stifling another cry, he kept his fingers against his head, and found something to lean against. He didn't look to see what it was, but from the feel it was probably a dead horse. Halt forced himself to stay stationary. If he was going to get out of there and back to Araluen to find Will, he needed all the strength he had left, which was probably not much.

Mentally, the Ranger checked himself over for other injuries. His right arm slumped against his chest at an unnatural angle. It was definitely dislocated, but thankfully not broken. There was a deep gash across his ribs, and a long cut across his left leg. He had been close enough so that most of the Rangers used their knives to attack him, but he did find an arrow buried rather deeply in his other side. Halt reached up to his right arm. Gritting his teeth, he snapped the joint back in place. It hurt like h-. It would probably take some time to heal, and he would have to move it as little as possible. That could be hard. Now his worst injuries were the gash in his side, and his head injury. The cut in his leg was shallow, and would be possible to deal with. All the injuries (except the dislocation) would scar, badly. D-.

Halt found a dead imposter Ranger, and ripped his cloak into strips. He tied them tightly around his injuries. On an impulse, he turned the Ranger over. A sigh of disappointment escaped Halt's lips. Braedon had taken the man's weapons with him. How very like him. Halt limped over, checking all the other dead men. They had all been disarmed. Except one. A small boy, most likely an apprentice judging by his size and the size of his weapons, had been left a re-curve bow and a small throwing knife. Halt took the weapons. The boy's quiver had only three arrows. Halt searched the battlefield. Most of the arrows were made for much heavier bows. They were too long for the boy's re-curve. The old Ranger only managed to find two of the boy's arrows that were still usable.

His quiver containing only five arrows, Halt made his way out of the midst of the battle. He stumbled a few times over dead men and horses. Their bodies were twisted grotesquely in the early morning light. Halt was no stranger to death, but even so he tried not to look at the cold bodies of the men, once alive and breathing. _And trying to kill me. _Halt added to himself. He glanced briefly in the direction of Castle Celtica. It had occurred to him that Will could possibly be there at the exact moment. He probably thought that his mentor was dead, killed holding off a force of men. _Braedon probably thinks that too. _The Ranger realized. _He thought he killed me. _Halt allowed himself a grim smile. He anticipated Braedon's face when he saw him. It was going to be a sight worth seeing. And if all went well, he would have a whole force of men with him.

Halt turned away from Castle Celtica. He had no time to try to find Will. What little strength he had would be needed for the journey ahead of him. It was going to be long, and he knew that he was weak. Limping on his wounded leg, the Ranger made his way toward the coastline. Will could wait. Araluen could not.

**/\ . /\. /\. /\. /\. /\.**

It was an hour later when Will and Aileen reached the battlefield. Will's eyes widened when he saw how many forms lay still on the ground. He had known that Halt would not go down without a fight, but he had not even begun to guess how much damage the Ranger could cause.

The two slid down from the horses. The two animals had been borrowed from Castle Celtica. Tug and Tiger needed a long rest after the frantic journey from Araluen. Both horses were exhausted. Now, however, they were resting in the castle's stables. The stable boy had promised to take the best possible care of the two Ranger horses. If the horses treatment was anything less than very, _very _good, he would have made enemies of two Rangers, both with the power to turn him into a pincushion before he could apologize. Will especially would see to that. For him, Tug was the most important thing, right after Araluen and Halt…and maybe Alyss.

Leading the horses they made their way to the bodies. Pausing to replace the horses' bridles with halters, and tying them to sturdy tree branches, the two began the grizzly search among the bodies. Each body they examined raised Will's heart a little. Halt was nowhere to be seen.

Will turned as Aileen yelled something to him. Picking his way, among the bodies, he made his way to her. She held up a bow, broken in the middle. Will stared at it, his heart plummeting again.

"Is it Halt's?" Aileen asked softly.

Will nodded speechlessly and took the broken bow. He held it tightly, his eyes blurring with tears as he stared at the familiar object. It was obvious how Aileen had recognized it. The craftsmanship was better that the other bows. Of course it was, Halt had made it. It was clear in Will's mind that no one could make a bow as well as Halt. He was the best Ranger in the Corps. The best ever.

For some reason it was that thought that broke Will's thin hold on his emotions. He doubled over the bow and cried, gripping it in his hands like a lifeline. Aileen turned away awkwardly and continued to search the bodies. She had killed more men that she could count, training for years with a re-curve bow, which she found she handled better than a longbow. She had mastered the throwing knife and the saxe knife, and several types of unarmed combat that allowed her an advantage over people bigger and stronger than her (which most men were). But when confronted with a person mourning for a lost friend, she had no idea what to do. Nothing she could ever say would comfort him.

By the time Will ran out of tears, Aileen had checked the rest of the bodies. Now she stood behind Will, and placed one hand awkwardly on her shoulder and cleared her throat. The young Ranger turned, startled by the sudden noise.

"Did you find him?" Will asked, his voice hoarse from tears.

Aileen shook her head.

"He's not here. Maybe he survived, and is already on his way back to Araluen." _Or maybe Braedon captured him again, and dragged him along like a dog, injured beyond repair. _She didn't say that part. Will said it for her.

"How could he have survived this?" The boy asked. "If he's not here that means he's a captive. Or they decided to take his body along to bring out when they find us."

Aileen said nothing. She grabbed her bow, and shot three arrows into the trunk of a tree with full force. They stood out from the wood, quivering with the impact. Yanking her dragon pendant off, she threw it as hard as she could. It sailed into the air, far out of sight. With a grunt she sat down. Some of her rage vented. But only some. Will pulled the arrows out of the tree and handed them back to her. She stared at them a moment before putting them back with the others.

"We have to get back to Araleun," she said finally. "Braedon is probably almost there already."

Will nodded, and they untied their horses, and slipped the bridles back on. They rode back to Castle Celtica.

**/\ . /\ . /\ . /\ . /\ . /\ . /\**

Tug and Tiger, had indeed been well taken care of. They had both already eaten all their hay and grain. The horses had also emptied their water buckets, but the stable boy had refilled them. When Will and Aileen walked in, both horses were being groomed. Tug raised his head and whinnied when he saw Will. He took a step forward in the ties, reaching his head forward toward Will. The bond the two shared was truly special.

Aileen patted Tiger's neck, and the mare pressed he head against Aileen's shoulder. The horses words were as clear as if they had been spoken. _I missed you. When do we start again? _Aileen grabbed her saddle, and placed it upon the saddle pad.

"Now," she whispered softly.

Will already was tightening the girth on Tug's saddle. Soon they would be on the move again, heading toward Araluen, where they would be plunged into war. Ranger against Ranger. Two groups with the same skills, but one with infinitely greater numbers.

**Okay, we're starting to approach the battle at the end! *Looks happy* I love battles. By the way, yes, dislocated shoulders are painful. I've popped mine back in myself before. If you do it right after it dislocates, it doesn't really hurt to put it in again. Especially with me because my joint is so loose. That's why I had surgery. I imagine if you had a normal joint it would be harder to put in and hurt more. Anyway, please review! I know I'm annoying and bossy, but reviews are really what's keeping this story up. I love you guys! REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, just to warn you, this chapter has major spoilers for book 8. Sorry the chapter was so late, my writers block is annoying. I wrote this chapter three times, the first was lame, the second was random cause I got sidetracked and started writing about muffins and the characters riding camels (I was hyper) this time wasn't great either but I decided to stick with this version. Read onward! **

**Disclaimer: The thingy ain't mine. **

Waves lapped against ships as they sailed in and out of the docks. The people went around their various chores of loading and unloading cargo, or shouting orders to crew members. Halt watched them, a nervous feeling in his stomach. He had vowed he would do anything to save Araluen, but he wished it could be something other thank getting on one of those blasted ships. Just watching them sail made him feel sick. Back and forth, up and down, up…down. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, willing himself to move forward. With a sigh, he approached the nearest ship captain.

After talking with a few people, Halt learned where some of the ships were headed and when they were due to leave. To his relief, he had found a ship headed to Hibernia. Even better, it was leaving in less than an hour. The captain was fairly easy to locate. At first he insisted that his ship was most certainly _not _a passenger ship, but Halt waved a bag of money in front of his face. Halt felt guilty about the money, but he had already saved these people's country from Braedon, and he would do what had to be done to get on a ship. One rich man could live a little lighter.

If the money hadn't convinced the ship captain, the bow and arrows Halt carried did the rest. Whatever was the deciding factor, when the ship left the docks, Halt was on it, leaning over the side. It really wasn't so bad, he decided. The ships motion was very gentle, smoothly rocking, up, down, up, down…Halt leaned over again and threw up.

…

Will stared into the fire, his eyes hard. Araluen was a two day ride away, and there was no way they could reach it before Braedon. Will doubted that the imposter Ranger had bothered to continue to Castle Celtica after the fight with Halt. He had seen Will and Aileen ride ahead. That would have told him that when he got to the castle, the king's army would be ready and waiting for him. As soon as he had dealt with Halt he would have turned and headed back to Araluen with his remaining men.

Will had wanted to keep traveling through the night, but Aileen pointed out that if they traveled in the dark they could miss signs of where Braedon had gone. It was possible that instead of going to Araluen, he had another fake peace treaty and was going to a different country. Also, they needed rest. On the way there the horses had almost dropped from exhaustion. They were already rather tired when they started the trip back. If Tug and Tiger were too tired to continue it would take a lot longer to reach Araluen then it would of they rested.

They had left Castle Celtica two days ago. The first day and night Will had been almost silent. Halt's death weighed heavily on him, and he blamed himself for leaving him behind. With Halt gone, the responsibility of saving Araluen fell almost completely to him. Despite his former adventures, he felt as if it was impossible without Halt. He had said as much to Aileen, and her response was to tell him that if he felt like it was all up to him to save the world then he should get up and do something. She really wasn't much for sympathy.

Will stood and walked briefly around the campsite. Braedon still hadn't found the other Ranger's, so they were safe for the moment. If it came to an all out fight with Braedon, and there was little doubt that it would, they would put up a good fight before they went down. The situation still looked grim, though. They were outnumbered more than two to one. Hopefully they could encourage some of the citizen's of Araluen to fight with them, but even that held little hope. The idea of farmers fighting skilled Ranger's appeared more like a massacre than a battle.

"Halt would know what to do," Will whispered. "He would find exactly the right way to handle things," his voice became a little quieter, "But he's dead. If I had stayed and helped him, he might still be alive."

"And whacking you in the face for behaving like this," a voice added.

Will turned around, bow pointed at the source of noise.

"Relax," Aileen said. "The sky's getting lighter, we can probably go now. Your horse has been driving me crazy, he's so eager to get going."

Will lowered his bow and returned the arrow to his quiver. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the time passing. Or Aileen walking up behind him. He saddle Tug swiftly, and rode toward Araluen. Silently, he promised himself that he would do all in his power to save Araluen. He owed it to Halt. The old Ranger had died for his country, and Will was prepared to do the same.

…**.**

_Three days later…_

Halt stumbled off the ship, ignoring the sailor's jeers at his green-tinted face. Someday he would get used to the ships motion, someday he would sail on a ship _without _being sick the entire time. That someday was going to have to wait a little longer.

Halt still had some money left, and with it he hired a farmer with a cart to take him to Dun Kilty. It was harder to convince the guards to let him into the castle. They stared in disbelief at the ragged, limping man as he tried to convince them that the king was his nephew. Halt understood their skepticism. He was filthy and bloody. His arm was held at an awkward angle against his chest, and his hair and beard where untrimmed and ratty. In the end, he did convince the guards to call out several officials of the court, who confirmed that he was a relation of the king. After that, they let him pass, though somewhat mistrustfully. Halt demanded to see the king _immediately, _using his position as the king's uncle, and indeed the rightful king, to gain direct access to the throne room. 

The king of Hibernia stood when Halt entered the room. Halt, however, wasted no time on greetings.

"Araluen needs your help."

King Sean was rather surprised by the abrupt request. But he asked no questions, as Halt continued promptly.

"We are under attack, and outnumbered. The king is dead, and Castle Araluen is taken. The princess is a prisoner in the castle." He looked the king steadily in the eyes. "We need help _now. _Can you afford to send an army to Araluen to help us?"

King Sean didn't reply right away. He was, actually, more than willing to help Halt. The old Ranger had saved Hibernia, and was the only reason Sean was sitting on the throne now. Hibernia was at a time of peace with the countries near to it. But the people might object to him simply sending out his soldiers for the good of a country across the seas. There was no good in it for them or for Hibernia. Sean wanted to help Halt, but his loyalty to his country was more important.

Halt had anticipated this problem. He had already thought of a solution, and he suggested it to the king.

"The force which threatens Araluen will also be a threat to Hibernia. When Araluen is conquered, he will move to the surrounding countries. We need to defeat him."

King Sean looked up.

"How many men do you need?"

**See, I told you there were spoilers. I know this was a lame chapter, but I had bad writers block. Trust me, this is better than the first version I wrote. I tried to write Will when he was all angsty because he thought Halt was dead, but it was so OOC that I laughed. In the end I had to settle for writing Will when he was done angsting. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed this lame chapter! Now go review! **


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm sorry! It's been a long time, hasn't it? Well, whether you like it or not, I'm back. Deal with it. Sorry again. First, I had writer's block, then I got myself on computer restriction. But now, here I am again! (Strikes dramatic pose) On with the story!**

Gilan glanced up as he heard Blaze call a greeting. A grin fixed itself to his face. He was already halfway to the tent door when another horse answered Blaze's greeting. Definitely Tug, Gilan decided. He half ran outside, the smile still stuck to his face. It disappeared when he saw them.

"What happened?" he asked, struggling to keep the fear out of his voice. _Where's Halt? _He thought. _He's taking care of Abelard, _he insisted silently. _Halt's fine. _His mind did a poor job of convincing himself. Still battling with himself, Gilan asked the question.

"Where's Halt?"

Will looked down for a second. Pulling his gaze away from the ground, he busied himself with unsaddling Tug.

"Celtica is safe," Will replied finally.

Gilan noted the change of subject. _He's pretending, _Gilan told himself. _This is some weird joke. Soon Halt will come over, wondering why I'm acting like someone's dead. _But Gilan knew that Will wouldn't play a joke like that. Though he was sure he already knew the answer, Gilan asked again.

"Will, where is Halt?"

Will couldn't ignore or push away the urgency in Gilan's voice. It was desperate, almost pleading. Will lowered his gaze, and gave Gilan the answer he knew the young Ranger was dreading.

"He's dead," he replied, the shortness of the answer was an attempt to hide the pain.

Even though he had been expecting that answer, Gilan wasn't really prepared for it. He almost took a step back as the words hit him. Breathing deeply for a few seconds, he stared at the ground.

"How?" he asked, after he felt like he could talk without choking up.

"Braedon caught up to us," Will began. "Halt held him and his men up while Aileen and I delivered the warning to Celtica."

The relief that Celtica was safe was dull. Gilan reached behind him and stroked Blaze, who had trotted over after her master. The young Ranger knew that the movement was simply something for his hands to do, something to grab on to. Usually so cheerful and joking, Gilan's sad eyes met Will's. He wanted to say something. Something that would encourage Will, and himself, something that would help them get through the death of their mentor. Nothing came to mind.

"You should report to Crowley," somehow, those were the words that slipped out.

Will just nodded and turned. He staggered toward Crowley's tent, followed by Aileen.

_Two days later…_

For the second time in less than a week, Halt was leaning over the side of a ship. It was strange how he managed to do that to himself. Luckily he wasn't throwing up. That might have been because he had already donated the meager contents of his stomach to the ocean. Halt glanced toward land, mentally willing the ship to somehow speed up its pace. It had taken less time than Halt had expected for Sean to gather his men, and pack them all on to the fleet of ships that now sailed for Araluen. Even so, valuable time had been lost. Halt knew that Will would already be back in Araluen. It was a three day ride, if the horses were fast. With good weather, it took four days to sail the narrow stretch of water between Araluen and Hibernia. Halt stared ahead intently.

"We'll be there soon," he whispered to himself. "Tomorrow, probably."

He stared down at the water, trying not to worry about Will.

"Land ho!"

Halt was only one of many that looked up in surprise at the loud cry. Suddenly he found many people on the rail besides him. He strained his eyes, barely able to make out the shape in the distance. It didn't look much like land, especially in the weak light of the already setting sun.

"We'll reach it by early tomorrow," he heard the captain say.

Halt mentally judged the distance from the coast to the Ranger's camp. With Abelard, it would probably have taken two days. Leading a whole troop of men, while trying not to be noticed by Braedon's men, it would take a lot longer. "But they would get there.

He smiled softly, the faint expression hidden beneath his cloak.

Braedon barely looked up as the man entered the room.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice quiet.

The man shifted nervously. He hoped whatever news the scout had brought was good news.

"One of the scouts has returned, sir," he explained.

Braedon glanced at him quickly.

"Any news?" he asked, his voice sounding bored.

"I-I don't know, sir," the man stammered, hoping it was the correct answer. "The scout doesn't report to me."

Braedon shrugged.

"Let him in. Why are you taking so long about it, man?"

The scout entered the room.

"Anything?" Braedon questioned.

"Not much, sir. A ship has been spotted, entering the harbor. Hibernian, but he look of it."

"Trade ship?"

"I'm not sure, sir."

Braedon sighed.

"Watch the ship. If the people look suspicious, report to me. If they don't, that could simply be a well done acting job. Report to me, and follow them. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks. Find out who they are, and what they're doing here. Id they're a threat, kill them."

He motioned toward the door.

"You're dismissed."

The scout left, stopping to gather a group of men. He assembled them at the harbor, and waited, his attention fixed on the one ship, that sailed gently toward them.


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm back! Please don't kill me! I know its been forever, but I temporarily lost inspiration. But here I am again! By the way, pixie blue suggested the title "Lies Within" as a reference to the fake Rangers. What do you guys think? Anyway, I really hope the next update will be sooner. **

"This is stupid," Aileen muttered.

Will sighed quietly. He didn't know Aileen very well, but he did know that she usually didn't complain this much. She had been fine, until an unexpected guard had forced them to wade through the river instead of using the bridge. About halfway across, Will had learned that Aileen's younger sister had drowned when they where children, and Aileen was terrified of rivers. She had gotten through, though, and as she hadn't screamed there mission was still undiscovered.

Will turned his head slightly as David, another Ranger that had been sent with them, crawled up.

"Seven guards patrolling the walls," he whispered. "We have a four minute break between each. It should take about half an hour to get up if I stop whenever a guard comes around."

Will nodded. David had been sent because he was a renowned climber in the Corps. Aileen had come because she knew the layout of the guards the best. Will was considered one of the best Rangers in the Corps, and he knew the Princess Cassandra personally, so of course he was sent on the mission to rescue her.

It was a fairly straight forward plan, and highly risky. But Crowley had decided that they needed to save the princess immediately. David was to climb the walls and pick of a few of the guards quickly with his knives. Will had suggested simply shooting the guards, and then climbing, but it was too difficult a shot. Aiming upward at the walls, in the dark, would definitely be hard, and the shot would have to be perfect, or else the guard would cry out.

Once David was up, he would lower a rope for Will and Aileen, so that they could get up quickly. Will and Aileen both knew the palace, so it would be easy to get down to the dungeons. The rest was easy. Get the princess, and kill anyone who was in their way.

Will watched David make his way up the wall. Despite his talent, the walls were not especially easy to climb. Will admired his skill as he was able to stop, and blend seemingly effortlessly into the wall every time a guard passed.

David slipped onto the top of the wall, and crouched, careful to remain invisible in the shadows. He watched the guard come around the corner, and readied his knife. The man passed him, and David stood and followed him for a few steps. Deftly he stabbed. Without a sound the man fell lifeless to the ground. David caught the body, and winced at the blood on his hands. David was new to the Corps, not as hardened as Halt, or even Will. The taking of life was still hard for him, especially stabbing a man in the back. But there was no room on this mission for a fair fight.

David moved back into the shadows as another guard passed. The man paused in surprise as he saw the body. Slowly, he reached out to check the body. David saw his lips move, forming words, as his hand touched the other man's shoulder. David drew back his arm to throw. The other man heard the noise, and raised his head. His piercing eyes met David's a second before the knife struck his throat. His hand reached out and groped at the hilt protruding from his neck. Pain registered in his eyes before he fell, slumped over his companion.

David stared at the scene for several minutes before he could look away. It had always been presented to him as good and bad, black and white, us against them. He had never thought of it the other way, that these people felt the same way he did. They laughed and cried, they thought and planned. They mourned each other's deaths. Maybe they thought that they were fighting for the right side, that theirs was a cause worth dying for.

Silently, David crept forward and felt the men's pulses. They were still. There was no doubt that he had killed them. David closed his eyes for several seconds and breathed deeply. Finally, he opened them again. He knew his cause, and it was the right one. Will and Aileen were waiting for him, and he had to hurry.

Will watched as the rope fell over the wall.

"Finally," he muttered, moving swiftly to it.

Aileen followed. She could see how nervous Will was. And for a while, it had confused her. He had fought many battles. He had beaten the kalkara, and helped form the treaty with Skandia. Why would he be so tense about this? After a while it came to her. Will knew Cassandra. He was probably worried about her, and it wouldn't help that they had lost Halt on the last mission. A flash of sympathy went through her. She knew Will blamed himself for Halt's death, and he was probably angry at himself. His confidence had obviously fallen with the loss of his mentor and friend, father even. Actually, considering that, he was holding up well. _At least I have a chance to help him with this, _she thought, _and I will, as long as it doesn't involve anymore rivers. _She shuddered, pushing away the images of her sister, Abby, being swept away, screaming for help, as she was able to do nothing except watch helplessly.

Will reached the top, and reached down to help Aileen. He smiled slightly as she indignantly batted his hand away. Looking down, he felt a brief flash of worry. His last mission had gone horribly wrong, ending in Halt's death. What of this went the same way? It certainly was going slowly.

Angrily, he turned toward David, ready to ask what had taken so long. Before the words past his lips, he caught sight of David's face. It was tight and stressed. Will saw how David was continually glancing at the bodies piled nearby. Will's expression softened. He had felt the same when he had first killed, and several times afterward. Maybe Halt even had. Will placed a hand on David's shoulder, and the younger boy jumped in surprise.

"Good job," Will whispered. "We couldn't have gotten this far without you.

David smiled. It was small and tight, but it was a start.

"Let's go," Will said softly, motioning in the direction of the castle. Aileen nodded, and they crept forward.

Will led the way down the hall toward the prisons. They had run into only three men along the way. Will had dispatched two, and Aileen one.

"The cells are around this corner, and one flight of stairs down," he whispered, turning his head toward David and Aileen.

David sped up slightly in his anticipation, and rounded the corner first. He came face to face with a guard. Drawing his knife, he readied himself for the kill. The man's face stopped him. He was barely older than David himself, and his expression was one of pure terror. David lowered the knife slightly, and the man opened his mouth to yell. But suddenly he stopped. David watched in surprise as the man's eyes rolled back, and he slipped forward as Will drew his knife out from the man's body. Will sheathed his knife, and turned to David.

"Never hesitate," he said, but David barely caught the understanding in his gaze.

Will threw open the door to the first cell. Empty.

"It wasn't even locked," he told the others.

Aileen was already checking the next one. She glanced inside.

"This one too. Eight more to go."

David moved to the next.

"Maybe they put her in the last one," he suggested.

Will nodded.

"Aileen, you start on the other side, and David and I will do this side, moving toward you."

Aileen moved toward the other side.

"Last one," Aileen muttered as all three of them stood in front of the only cell they hadn't checked yet.

Slowly, she took a breath and swung open the door. The three of them studied the inside. Will felt his heart sink, as he saw that it too was empty. Cassandra wasn't in the prison. David shifter from foot to foot, as his already nervous expression became even tighter.

"What do we do?" his voice sounded tense.

Will turned away from the door, trying to keep his expression firm and undiscouraged.

"We get out of here, and tell Crowley. There's not enough time to search the rest of the castle. We'll get caught if we try that."

He turned and led the way, reaching the stairs, and stopped short. Standing in the way, bow at the ready, stood Braedon and several of his men. Will stood still for a moment, but noticed Braedon begin to release the string. He threw himself to the ground, and grabbed David's elbow, pulling him down with him. The arrow flew over his head, and he caught sight of Aileen rolling once before regaining her feet, saxe knife in her hand. Will stood also. David was slower, and he was shaking slightly. Will watched him out of the corner of his eye. He would have to talk to him later. The boy was obviously scared out of his mind.

"Treaty," Braedon hissed. "The princess is hidden. Did you think I would be so stupid as too leave her in the obvious place?"

"Actually," Will began, "I had rather hoped that you-" he grabbed his bow and released in the blink of an eye. He had hoped to catch Braedon of guard, but the man was too experienced for that. He sidestepped easily.

"Surrender, Treaty," he said. "Give my men your weapons," he motioned to the men behind him, and they stepped forward.

Will assessed the situation. Braedon had seven men with him, all armed. Will sighed. It was hopeless. He had failed. Without a word, he began to lower his bow, as one of Braedon's men placed a hand on it.

Three arrows came from behind him. Two of Braedon's men dropped immediately, and the third groaned clutching at an arrow in his leg.

Will turned and saw Aileen already firing again. David also managed to release one arrow, and it struck a man in the shoulder. Will brought his bow up quickly, hitting the man holding it in the face. The man yelled and released his grip. Will had an arrow on the string immediately, and released, not bothering to watch the man fall.

"Run!" he yelled, and darted forward, taking the stairs two at a time. He had David and Aileen behind him. He reached the top, but stopped, hearing a yell. He turned just in time to see David tumble back down the stairs, and arrow through him. For a second he saw Halt instead, his face full of pain as Braedon's men brought him down. Only Aileen throwing him to the ground brought him away from the image.

"Move!" she screamed. "There's nothing we can do."

Will followed her, wiping savagely at his eyes as he thought of Halt.

The rope still hung where they had left it, and Will climbed down, followed closely by Aileen. As his feet touched the ground, he stared back up toward the castle.

"We failed," he whispered, his vision clouding.


End file.
